According to reports, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at Café de la Petite Italie at 4:30 a.m. Friday, causing minimal damage.
It turns out the café was raided in September 2008 after a Montreal Police investigation uncovered 56 grams of cocaine on-site. Francesco Facchino, the café’s owner, and his brother-in-law and employee, John Botsis, were arrested and charged with drug trafficking, reports Montreal’s Gazette.
In the past year, 18 other fires have been set in cafés located mostly in northeastern parts of Montreal, such as Rivière des Prairies and St. Michel. Last month, Montreal Police Deputy Chief Jacques Robinette said the fires are believed to be related to street “gang members looking to muscle in on drug trafficking,” in certain areas.
